Treasurer admits less central control after Daniel Andrews’ departure
The Ombudsman expressed her deep concern about the high number of Victorian government employees who are hesitant to voice their opinions.
The Victorian Treasurer, Tim Pallas, has admitted that there has been a relaxation of control under the leadership of new Premier Jacinta Allan.
The ombudsman found a “culture of fear” within the upper levels of the public sector, which discourages open and honest advice.
In response to questions about Premier Allan’s leadership style, Mr. Pallas stated that there has been a relaxation of central control.
In reference to Minister Allan’s approach, Mr. Pallas stated, “What it tells us is she is going to be her own person. She’s going to expect the same level, or perhaps a higher level, of effort from the ministers.”
Related Stories
At that time, Ms. Allan stated that her leadership style would be defined by her values, including hard work, equality of opportunity, working families, and the environment.
Too Many Staffers Hired by Victorian Government: Ombudsman
The Victorian ombudsman, Deb Glass, revealed in her report released on Dec. 6, 2022, that Premier Andrews had as many staffers as the Australian prime minister and New South Wales premier combined.
“Decisions made in ‘echo chambers,’ not subject to the scrutiny of expert career officials, do not make for good public administration,” she stated.
“While it is impossible to quantify the impact of marginalisation on either the public interest or the public purse, we should all be worried about the trend.”
Furthermore, Ms. Glass emphasized that “creeping politicisation is a reality in Victorian, and requires urgent attention.”
She expressed that the Ombudsman was “deeply troubled” by the number of individuals who were hesitant to speak.
“While the response to our request for submissions was overwhelming, particularly from current and former senior public officials with deep knowledge of the issues we were examining, many more declined to speak on the record,” she mentioned.
“Two sentiments stood out—concern and fear. Concern about what people saw as the quickening corrosion of longstanding Westminster principles of responsible government.”
“Fear that if they spoke up, if they were in any way identifiable as having done so, their careers would be finished.”
